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Versace

locationMilan, 21 September 2012

locationMilan, 21 September 2012

<a href=" www.vogue.co.uk/brand/versace">VERSACE is a label that knows how to command attention - just take a look at those slashed and slinky dresses that made their way down the catwalk this evening - accompanied by Donatella-esque blonde locks and smokey eyes - for the fashion house's spring/summer 2013 collection.

"I wanted it to be looser and not as constricting as usual. It was about the future after the blacks I've used before," explained Donatella backstage, pointing out the use of tie-dye - which featured heavily throughout - to achieve this.

And there was certainly a light, bright and exotic mood to the collection, which took oranges and azures as its colour palette, mixing them up with chain detailing and black for that signature Versace edge.

So there were little black dresses which were made up mostly of lace (you'd have to be pretty daring to be able to slip into one of these), and slashed black trousers where the rips too morphed into lace inserts. Blouses with billowy sleeves were offset by blingy chain belts - finer, starrier versions of which went some way into creating the shoes, Donatella's favourite - and backs were given all the attention through those short sassy dresses held together by fine straps and lacing.

Emphasis was on the hips, Shakira-style, with silver strand belts which, if they weren't looped around a waist were looped around the neck to anchor those floaty little numbers.

They were clothes to dance in, to show off a great figure in and to walk down a red carpet in. To be a Versace woman you have to have something of a warrior about you - it's an attitude and a sassiness. Just how much sassiness of some of the pieces will translate into a commercial collection though remains to be seen. How much confidence do you have?